


Parenting Together

by paperGrape



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Its like the typical "take care of an egg for a school project" kind of trope, Kinda, Most of the time, Parenthood, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24018307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperGrape/pseuds/paperGrape
Summary: Two children find a Tallbird egg and decide to raise it as their own.
Relationships: Webber & Wendy (Don't Starve), Webber/Wendy (Don't Starve)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48





	1. A New Life

Two pairs of little feet padded relentlessly across the cobblestone path. Two little breaths puffed so heavily, it was as if their little lungs were burning. Swiftly, the two little ones made a sharp turn, seeking refuge behind a massive boulder of gold, flint, and stone.

Wendy and Webber peered from the giant rock, their little eyes becoming wide at the sight of a Tallbird falling into a Lureplant trap. Its surrounding Eyeplants attacked their new prey and, in a matter of seconds, the Tallbird becomes meat (or two) for the Meat Bulb. 

The two children collapsed, their backs against the large stone, and heaved a large breath. Wendy rested her head against Webber's shoulder. 

"This is off character for me to say, but I am glad we evaded a tragic death." 

"Yeah, us, too."

They remained in the Rockyland biome until it was near dusk, healing themselves with spider glands and feeding each other roasted carrots they had in their inventory. Once they have restored enough health and hunger, they got up and trudged the same cobblestone path. 

That is, until, they spotted a nest. 

Sitting on said nest is a large blue egg, its shell peppered with white spots. 

"That egg represents a new life. Ugh."

"That egg could feed us for days! Let's go grab it!"

Wendy simply took the egg, seeing as it was unguarded. They continued their trek, walking alongside each other as the Constant sun began to completely set.

They arrived at camp just as nighttime started to fall. Webber threw a number of logs at the fire pit, enough to give their base an adequate amount of light. 

Wendy tended to her sisturn, replacing the stale flowers with fresh ones. She found that she needed more space in her inventory, so she set down today's loot, the Tallbird egg, by the campfire.

Its shell began to crack.

The two rushed to the egg. The shell was indeed starting to break, but it was not because Wendy had dropped it by accident.

It was hatching.

"Do you know what this means, Wendy?"

"What?"

"We're his parents now."


	2. Husband and Wife

Webber laid flat on his stomach, his chin resting on his palms as he gazed at their new son with twinkling eyes. All eight of them. "He needs a name."

Wendy turned to him while she was placing morsel and berries in the crock pot. "What do you have in mind?"

"We thought long and hard about it."

"Okay."

"His name will be Webber Jr."

"I don't think it took that long for you to think of that particular name."

"But it's a nice name, isn't it?"

Wendy's lips formed a small smile. 

"Yes, I suppose it is a nice name."

The sun rose just as their tiny campfire flame waned into nothingness. Webber got up on his feet, stretched his arms, then flashed a toothy (fang-y?) grin.

"Today is officially our first day of becoming parents!"

"As parents, what shall we do today?"

Webber smile turned into a straight line. He looked up, as if trying to find the answer in a speech bubble on top of his head. Finally he smiled again, snapping his fingers.

"We should ACT like parents in front of Webber Jr.!"

"How do you propose we do that?"

Webber donned his top hat, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. He stood by the wooden gates when he spoke to Wendy. "Well dear, we're off to work!"

"Wait, dear. I packed you some lunch." Wendy went up to him, handing him a freshly cooked Monster Lasagna. "It's your favorite."

"Why thank you, dear!" 

The two glanced at Webber Jr. still sitting by the empty fire pit. 

"Um. How about a goodbye kiss?"

"Is that necessary, Webber?"

"Yes, we must show our son that we are loving parents!"

Wendy shrugged her shoulders. 'Whatever makes you, happy,' she thought. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Webber beamed instantly. 

"See you later, Wendy!" With that, he went off.


	3. Mother and Child

The blonde girl busied herself with a clean sweeper, pretend dusting what needed pretend cleaning. Later on, she headed towards the crock pot and whipped up a filling meal with whatever she deemed edible from the icebox. The crock pot decided she would be having meatballs again.

Sitting across Webber Jr., she heartily ate her food. She tried to pretend feed him some leftover berries from the fridge. It was as if they were having lunch together. "You know, Webber Jr., I think that playing house is rather silly. I'd much rather be playing dead.."

She plopped the berries in her mouth. "But Webber seems to be having fun, so I play along anyway."

She stared intently at Webber Jr.

"I care about Webber, so I'll take care of you, even if the thought of new life sickens me."

She frowned at the egg before her. "Perhaps I should talk about something else. Webber wouldn't like it if he finds out that I've been teaching you mortality at such a tender age."

Thus, Wendy engaged in conversation with Webber Jr. They discussed plenty of topics, ranging from her twin sister Abigail, who was apparently his aunt now, to her adventures with Webber (sans the part where they had found him yesterday. He was far too young to know that he was adopted).

Soon, darkness began to loom across the Constant sky. Wendy hurriedly retrieved fuel for the campfire. The moment she placed a log into the fire pit, Webber Jr. flushed a red hue and was visibly sweating.

Wendy's heart raced. Quickly, she scooped him up and carried him farther from the campfire. His color reverted back to blue.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wendy, we're home!" chirped Webber, tucking away his fatherly apparel into his inventory as he entered through the wooden gates.

"Oh. Welcome home, dear."

Webber kissed Wendy's cheek, then Webber Jr.

"Work was tiring.. We got chased by a Pig on the way home!"

"Uh. What exactly is your work?"

Webber shrugged. "We don't really know. We just got the usual resources. You know, silk, grass, logs, monster meat..

Anyway, how's Webber Jr.?" he smiled, lovingly stroking the egg in his pretend wife's arms.

"He uh.." Wendy trailed off. Webber looked at her with anticipation.

"He overheats, too, Webber.. We have to be careful and not put him by the fire."

"Don't put him by the fire. Got it."

They did not put him by the fire.

Until sundown, that is.

Webber Jr., now pale, appeared to be shivering.  
The pretend parents hastily made their way to his side.

"What's happening? It's not winter yet. Why is our son freezing?" 

"I don't know! Quick, let's put him by the fire!"

"But we thought the fire was bad for him!"

"Uh, how about.." Wendy placed a winter hat on top of Webber Jr. He was still white as a thermal stone in an icebox.

"It's not working!" Webber cried out.

Without warning, Wendy picked him up once more and quickly brought him near the campfire. She kept a considerable distance in fear that he might overheat again.

Webber cautiously approached her. Tinged with worry, his voice quivered.

"Is he okay?"

Wendy checked on the egg cradled in her arms. Webber Jr. had turned back into his usual color. 

"Yes," she breathed another sigh of relief. "He's all right now."

"Webber Jr., don't scare us like that! You're making mom and dad worried," Webber hugged Wendy by the waist, leaning his head on her shoulder.

Their adrenaline rush dwindled as the two stayed that way for the rest of the night, watching the flame dance in the fire pit.


	4. Father and Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Webber sings a song in the tune of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkLGm9B60oY

Webber got up from his straw roll, yawning as it somehow faded into nonexistence. His head spun to where Webber Jr. was "sleeping" last night, only find nothing but an extinguished campfire. He wandered over to their supposed kitchen and spotted Wendy rummaging through the icebox. 

"Good morning, Wendy," Webber rubbed his eyes, "Where's Webber Jr.?"

"In my inventory. I had to watch him while you slept."

"D'awwe.. Thanks, Wendy! We knew you'd make a good mom!"

She flashed a small smile before handing him his breakfast, which is, unsurprisingly, meatballs again.

"I hope that's enough. We ran out of food so I might go grocery shopping with Webber Jr. today while you're at work."

He scarfed down the meatballs in one, big bite. "We won't be going to work today. It's a day off!"

"Oh. Then I suppose you can take care of Webber Jr. for today?"

"Yeah! We're going to have what my dad used to call 'father and son bonding.'"

"All right then," Wendy settled, raising Abigail's flower into the air until her ghost twin manifested. She turned over the egg to Webber. "Abby and I are off."

Webber held his son in his arms. The egg was swaddled in the winter hat, which now served as its "baby clothes" as Webber would like to call it.

"Okay. Take care!" 

"I'll make sure not to succumb to the thought of death." she promised, kissing the boy on the cheek. 

Webber froze in place for a moment. In an instant his lips curved into a goofy smile. He waved at Wendy as she walked through the wooden gates. When she was no longer in sight, he cupped his cheek with his free hand.

"I feel fluffy."

Webber Jr. sat snugly on the ground, right in front of its foster parent who was pacing back and forth.

"What's a father and son thing to do..." he pondered, scratching his chin, which had begun to grow silk. He ran his fingers across his newly formed beard as an idea came into mind.

"We're going to teach you how to shave!" he declared, wielding a razor blade. The tutorial went by swiftly, the entire process producing one silk in one fell swoop.

"Okay, what now?" he asked himself, picking up the silk from the ground. Webber's eyes, all eight of them, were fixated on the item in his hand, or rather, in the first slot of his inventory, when another idea came into mind.

"Let's go fishing!" 

With a fishing rod in hand and a son in another, Webber took a stroll just outside their base. He had a pep on his step, and a tune in his little spider heart.

_Webber the Tallbird egg  
Was a pretty little Tallbird egg  
Cutest thing you ever saw  
On the nest he rests with his mama n' pa _

It did not take him long to find the nearest pond in the area. Safely stowing his son in his inventory, he cast his line into the water.

"Actually, I did this with my grandpa, but since he was my dad's dad, I guess this counts?"

Webber felt a tug in his fishing line. He reeled it in easily, mentally thanking his grandpa for his skill in catching fish.

"Look, Webber Jr., we caught a fish!" Webber proclaimed, holding his sweet catch by the tail.

Just as he was about to throw his line into the pond once more, a familiar pond resident spawned before him. His eyes widened, the two large orbs resembling saucers while the smaller six looked like tiny teacups. 

Webber turned on his heel and made a run for it, but the nasty frog had still managed to knock out a couple of items from his pockets.  
He sprinted as far out as he could and, once the frog had retreated to its pond, he rested against a pine tree.

"That was close.. Good thing dad was fast enough, right, Webber Jr.?"

He pulled out his son out of his pockets, only to produce the freshwater fish he had caught.

"WEBBER JR.?!" 

Webber returned to the pond and sure enough his fishing rod laid right where he had dropped it during the frog assault. Webber Jr., however, fell on a nearby wooden structure. The boy was hiding in a berry bush when a pig emerged from behind his home.

"ME HUNGRY!"

"NOOO!" Webber shrieked, stumbling over from his hiding place. He dashed for his darling son, picking him up before the pig could do so.  
There was no time for a relieved sigh for the once passive mob became aggressive at the sight of the spider boy.

"YOU GO SMASH!"

Webber yelped in pain from the pig's attack, losing thirty-three health points. With whatever stamina he had left, Webber ran away again, clutching his son in a protective yet gentle grasp. 

Wendy and Abigail came home when the sky was beginning to look dim. Her stash composed primarily of carrots, berries, and a morsel. 

"Welcome home, Wendy," greeted Webber, their son in one hand and another on his stomach, which growled loudly. He gave her a sheepish smile. 

"We have a lot to talk about over dinner."


	5. A Grave Mistake

Wendy's groceries did not stay for long in the icebox. Webber, from the lack of a sleeping tent, resorted to roasted carrots and berries to regain his strength from yesterday's troubles. 

"I think Webber Jr. should stay at home today. It's not safe to bring him with us." Wendy suggested, cooking the last of the berries over a small flame.

"Will he be safe while we're gone? Maybe we should get a babysitter.."

"We can't trust anyone but ourselves, Webber. Let's just hide him somewhere safe and return as soon as possible."

"Okay.." he caved in, storing Webber Jr. in a chest full of worn winter hats and other clothing items. "We hope it's cozy in there..! Mom and dad will be back soon." Then he gave the egg a soft pat or two.

"Let's go," Wendy declared, putting on her backpack. 

Closing the wooden gates behind them, the two set off. Not too far away from camp, they had already pulled up a couple of carrots from the ground. They wandered off a little more and wound up in a foggy area.

"I long to be among you, but we have a son at home," mused Wendy, placing a hand on one of the many gravestones in sight.

"Do you know what this means, Wendy?"

"What?"

"We can get toys for Webber Jr.!"

Equipping a top hat, Webber brought out his golden shovel and dug up a mound, the first of many. Meanwhile, Wendy crafted herself a flower crown. 

"Frizzled wires? Who would want to play with this?" Webber complained, tossing aside the colorful trinket.

"I found a red gem."

Webber went over to the next grave and discovered yet another useless item under the mud. He frowned, "A hanger isn't much of a toy. Maybe if we use our imagination, but Webber Jr. wouldn't like this."

"I found another red gem."

The boy dug grave after grave, only to find junk after junk. Perhaps gears are valuable, so he pocketed them, but still. They were looking for toys, not backscratchers. On the other hand, Wendy collected four gems, two of which are red and the other two being blue. She also gathered at least one nightmare fuel.

Webber clutched his head, gritting his teeth. "Where are the toys?" he whined, stomping his feet on the dirt.

"Webber, your sanity.."

The boy checked and sure enough everything around him became over-saturated. He was beginning to hear whispers and distorted barking. His closed his eyes shut, all eight of them, as he started to rock back and forth.

When the first shadow creature appeared, Wendy dug her last grave, grabbed Webber by the hand and bolted out of the scene. They reached a clearing full of flowers and butterflies and began to pick as much as they could. Webber's vision stopped shaking once they had picked up majority of the flowers in the field.

"We never got a toy for Webber Jr..." Webber mumbled, looking down at his feet. Wendy placed a finger under the boy's chin and tilted it up. He was met with her soft gaze.

Without a word, Wendy fished out an item from her inventory. It was a toy rocket ship.

Webber's face slowly brightened up and, sure enough, he was smiling again. He pulled Wendy into a tight embrace.

The two went on their merry ways and traversed back to their camp, picking up every berry, carrot, and even mushroom they could find. Webber skipped along the path home while Wendy sauntered at an even pace, hands intertwined.

A disheveled Wilson emerged from a couple of berry bushes picked out of their prime. He spotted some stone walls and, at the center, a wooden gate. 

"Civilization!" he exclaimed.

He scurried inside and went straight to the icebox. He frowned at the lack of meatballs. He closed the door shut and began rummaging through the chests.

"C'mon, c'mon," he muttered, chest after chest. "There's got to be something in here!"

Finally, he opened a trunk full of clothing items. 

Then the wooden doors swung open.

"Webber Jr., we're home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the full lyrics :">
> 
> Webber the tallbird egg  
> Was a pretty little tallbird egg  
> Cutest thing you ever saw  
> On the nest he rests with his mama n' pa
> 
> All day, his parents played  
> With Webber Jr. on the nest he laid  
> Gathered berries for his snack  
> 'N kiss him better when he had another crack
> 
> But while they're gone  
> A Wilson came  
> To look for something good  
> Believe it or not, he got so starved  
> N' made Webber Jr. food
> 
> Back home, the parents came  
> And went to find the missing baby egg  
> Wilson says that's what he ate  
> Then he told them that it was tasty egg
> 
> Thanks for reading. <3


End file.
